last updated July 14, 2009

  The Ukrainian government has undertaken a series of forward steps in improving gender equality and decreasing violence against women.  Ukraine has been an active and responsive participant in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and this has been the basis of much of its new legislation on gender created in the past ten years.

The Beijing Convention

The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic signed CEDAW on 17 July 1980, and the independent nation of Ukraine has continued to implement the provisions of the Convention and to submit reports on their progress to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  Ukraine participated in the 1995 Beijing Conference and committed to the Beijing Platform for Action, which upheld the principles of the Convention and created an agenda for empowering women across the world.  Ukraine submitted their response (Russian) to the first questionnaire issued by the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women on progress made in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action in July 1999 as well as a response to the second questionnaire in 2005.

In its second response, the Ukrainian government pledged its continuing commitment to promoting gender equality, making a special emphasis on the recent growth and strength of women’s non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Ukraine.  The response listed the following as its goals for future initiatives:

• To adopt a law on ensuring equal rights for men and women
• To cooperate with the Council of Europe and the European Commission to create new strategies for gender equality
• To implement new research and expert analysis on gender issues
• To create a system of gender-focused information centers
• To expand the dissemination of information and promote gender studies programs in schools and universities
• To support women and girl’s social organizations and protect the rights of women in the labor market

These goals were addressed in part by the National Plan 2001-2005, and the law “On Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men” was passed on 8 September 2005.

The National Plan 2001-2005 

On May 6, 2001 the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers adopted the “National Plan of Action on the Improvement of the Position of Women and Introduction of Gender Equality in Society 2001-2005.” (English) (Ukrainian) This plan committed the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Family, Children, and Youth, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Control Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, and regional and local government administrators to a series of concrete goals designed to improve government infrastructure for promoting gender equality, increasing the role of women in government and society at large, and promoting education on gender discrimination and violence against women throughout Ukraine.

The plan contained the following objectives for the Ukrainian national and local governments:

• To support the activities of institutions, centers, and services, which provide medical, psychological, and social assistance to women and children victims of violence (including domestic violence) or who are in a crisis situation.
• To continue the study, generalization, and distribution of international experiences in matters of prevention of trafficking in women and children, to conduct seminars, working meetings, and "round tables" on these problems.
• To include themes of prevention of violence against women and prevention of trafficking in women in online tutorials for high schools and higher education institutions.
• To organize studies for professionals, which in the process of the activity, conduct work with women and children victims of violence.
• To conduct informative and explanatory work among the population on the problems of prevention of trafficking in women. To provide for the publication and distribution of special editions (bulletins, brochures, recommendations, sights and others).
• To take part in the development and implementation of international programs and protocols in relation to the prevention of trafficking in women.

From: “About the National plan of actions on the improvement of position of women and assistance to introduction of gender equality in society on 2001 - 2005 years,” Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (6 May 2001).

State Program on Ensuring Gender Equality 2006-2010

On 27 Dec 2006 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted the “State Program on Ensuring Gender Equality 2006-2010” (Ukrainian).  In the program, the Ukrainian government reaffirmed its commitment to achieving greater gender equality and expresses concern that so many important arenas, such as politics or business, are still male dominated.  However, the government realistically recognizes that due to Ukraine’s current economic shortages and high unemployment, improving representation of women in many parts of life will continue to be a slow uphill battle.  To achieve greater gender equality, the plan proposes that the following steps be taken:

• Create and implement government policy and regulations to promote gender equality
• Enforce compliance of industry regulations and standards with the 2005 law “On Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men”
• Adapt Ukrainian legislation to be in accordance with European Union legislation
• Prepare and publish report on Ukraine’s compliance with CEDAW
• Start new research and monitoring of gender discrimination in the family and spiritual spheres
• Fund research on gender issues through the National Academy of Sciences
• Support community initiatives aimed at decreasing gender stereotyping
• Involve NGOs in the legislative and political decision-making process
• Hold public discussions and conferences on improving gender equality
• Monitor media compliance with regulations on gender stereotyping, advertising, and information dissemination

The implementation of the “State Program on Ensuring Gender Equality” is part of a larger plan to further the social and economic growth of Ukraine, the “Country Programme Action Plan 2006-2010.”  The Program is sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, which has been providing assistance to Ukraine since 1993.  The program is designed to strengthen the Ukrainian economy, create more substantial trade networks within and outside of the country, and to ensure an open and fair democratic system in Ukraine.

Stop Violence! Campaign

On 25 February 2008 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created a world-wide initiative, the “UNite to End Violence Against Women” campaign.  The Ukrainian government joined in this initiative with their own “Stop Violence!” campaign, To complement this campaign, the Network of Men Leaders Against Violence was launched on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2009.  The Network, which consists of prominent Ukrainian political leaders, athletes, and other celebrities, will use their prominence to promote the goals of the “Stop Violence!” campaign.  The campaign is focused on raising awareness of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women through advertising campaigns, forums, and sponsoring local events, and will be accompanied by agency initiatives to decrease violence through the country.

In June 2009 the Ministry of Defense held an expert group meeting in Kyiv to create their own Plan of Action for better integrating women into Ministry of Defense Activities.  The Ukrainian military is currently 13% female, and the Ministry is hoping to both increase this percentage and to improve conditions for women in the defense field.  The Plan of Action is expected to be completed and authorized by the end of 2009.

Compiled from:

“The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Creates New Opportunities for Women,” Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights in Ukraine Programme (16 June 2009).

“Minister of Justice of Ukraine will present National campaign “Stop violence!” to his European colleagues,” Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights in Ukraine Programme (28 May 2009).

“Men leaders unite against violence in Ukraine,” United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) (4 Mar 2009).

“Ukraine joins UN-led ‘Stop Violence!’ Campaign,” United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (17 Oct 2008).

"Alternative Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in Ukraine," Women’s Consortium of Ukraine (2008).  (PDF, 51 pages).

Fedkovych, Halyna, “National Action Plan on Gender Equality in Ukraine – ‘Violence against Women and Men’ Instead of ‘Violence in Family,’” Stop Violence Against Women, Advocates for Human Rights (29 Jan 2007).

“The State Program on Ensuring Gender Equality 2006-2010,” Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (27 Dec 2006).

Fedkovych, Halyna, “NAP on Gender Equality in Ukraine,” Network of East-West Women Focal Point Ukraine (6 Feb 2006).

“Country Program Action Plan (2006-2010) Between the Government of Ukraine and the United Nations Development Programme,” (17 Aug 2006). (PDF, 20 pages).

“About the National plan of actions on the improvement of position of women and assistance to introduction of gender equality in society on 2001 - 2005 years,” Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (6 May 2001).

“Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Combined fourth and fifth periodic report of state parties: Ukraine,” Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (4 Aug 1999).